In this free-verse poem, the speaker questions why certain lives (or species, or people) are valued above others, and who makes such decisions. While remembering a school field trip to a sea lion sanctuary, she uses her imagination to transform herself into a sea lion with “her own barking voice … and sleek brown body.” This wistful poem explores concepts and images related to safety, protection, vulnerability, and ecological and social justice.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B. Yeats, 1890
It’s about Choices: Talking with Donika Kelly, The Rumpus